Allardyce targets defensive improvement

23 September 2010 07:00

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Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce admits his side have to rediscover their defensive stability if they are to escape from their current malaise.
Wednesday's Carling Cup defeat at Aston Villa, where they led 1-0 but conceded three second-half goals - two in very quick succession - highlighted a familiar problem this campaign.
In three of the four Barclays Premier League matches since beating Everton on the opening day of the season - their only victory so far - Rovers have taken a lead but failed to close out the game.
That is most unlike Allardyce's side and he knows it has to change.
"It is the clean sheet mentality," he said. "The reason we were so successful last season was that we had 13 clean sheets in a very difficult season where the transformation of the team was massive.
"We know each other a lot better than we did then and we should be more experienced in terms of the know-how we should have but unfortunately we are not finding that to be the case."